Page 77 of Reckless Kiss

“He wants an audience.”

“Did he say why?”

“No, but I suspect it has to do with his relationship with the wench going off the radar?”

“Trouble in paradise?”

“Possibly, but I have no idea what that has to do with you. You’re divorced. What can Gregg possibly want?”

“I suppose one meeting won’t hurt. Can we make it at a public place but inside?”

“Sure, what are you thinking, lunch?”

“Make it somewhere expensive next week. It will allow me to reacclimatise to London life before I face him. He’s going to want something. I just don’t know what it is.”

“I’ll squeeze it in. Tomorrow you have the fitting for your wedding dress,” Yanny continued with his list.

Another sigh escaped Erica. She’d talked with the dressmaker every few days, tweaking what she wanted. The dressmaker already had her measurements, and the fitting would ensure they’d translated. The lady making her wedding dress made all her red carpet gowns. Erica paid well enough that the dressmaker only worked for her, so it didn’t take long when she needed a dress. Erica chose a simple design to help with timings, but it was detailed enough to make her feel special, even if she felt like shit.

“What’s going on, Erica? Are you going to tell me why you came earlier than planned?”

“My profession never came up in conversation. Archer thought I was a writer because he saw me with a manuscript a few times. He never asked, and I never said. It was a fake arrangement, so we didn’t need to delve into our whole lives. Just know enough to fool his aunt.”

“Except?”

“His aunt knew exactly who I was and thoroughly disapproved of who I was. She called me a two-bit actress. I nearly took the bait but resisted. When we met with the vicar, we had to state our professions as she was new to the island and wasn’t sure if I was Erica Taylor, the actress, or not. When we got back to the cottage, Archer was furious.He now thinks I faked liking him, and then he told me he’d fallen in love with me.”

“Oh shit. That’s a lot to unpack. So he’s in love with you?”

“Yeah. The thing is, I think I fell a little bit in love with him too. I loved that he didn’t know I was Oscar-winning actress Erica Taylor. I hadn’t worn a scrap of make-up the whole time I was on the island. We got really close and spent time together every day. It felt so good, and now he thinks I don’t care about him.”

“Do you think you should go ahead with the wedding?”

“If it were the original deal, then I’d say yes.”

“But?”

“His aunt pulled me aside and said if I don’t stay married to him for a full year, she’ll write Archer and his siblings out of the will. She told me I couldn’t ever get divorced while she was alive. So getting their hands on the business is the only way they can be assured of staying together.”

“Four siblings that like each other? I don’t believe it.”

“His brother Jason tracked down my mobile number. He gave me the speech and said he would keep my secret safe. He didn’t need to, and really, I outed myself.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Go ahead with the wedding. We joked at the beginning if we hated each other, the house was big enough to live on opposite sides and not see each other.”

“That’s no life, Erica.”

“I know, but I feel responsible for their happiness.”

“And what about yours?”

“I spent five years with Gregg, and look how that ended.”

“So you’re going to give up a year of your life to rescuefour people, three you have never met, because you feel obliged to carry through on a deal you made when you were lust drunk. You’ll also be breaking the law.”

“Yes.”

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